Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-11-11

seemingly directed at the little pcnnant
which ilnatcd from the schooncr's top
mast head. The stores i all in the
basket. the new iib i comm" down this
afternoon. and Eve got my freight
money along of my clearance papers
all right in here holding up a flat.
iapanned tin ease rs he spoke. For, be-
in" very ab>cnt-mindcd. though con-
stantly Illuminating in his great rcSpon-
>iblilv as master Of the cuastin@
schooner MARY j. Captain Jcthro
Fla"g usually forgot some part Of his
uptown errands. and was invariably
sent back therefor by practical Polly,
as a sort of atoncment for his sins OF
omission.
Polly nodded approvingly at her
fathers assertion. while Tad, "a an I'M
observed but interested on-looker, no
ticcd that. at the mention of freight
money, Mr.. Jones eye fell from the
topmast head to the japanned tin case
in Captain Flagg's hand, and briefly
rested thereon. Suddenly producing a
notebook from his pocket he began
writing on blank leaf, occasionally
CHANGING thoughtfully at the ''MaryJ., "
as though noting down a brief descrip.
ton Of her build and rig. to the evident
uneasiness of Captain Flagg, who re.
garded Mr.. Jones and his little book
with ill-concealed suspicion.
"Beg pardon, Captain" said the lat
ter, looking up with easy familiarity,
as Ephraim and George Washington
succeeded by their united efforts in get.
ting the stores safely on board, "but
I'm a Globe reporter. Any thing ex.
tr' rd'nary or unusual last voyage
that wonld make ns an item, eh?"
He held his head little one side as
he spoke, and tapped his teeth with the
end of his pencil in such business-like
manner that the Captains face cleared
at once.
Extraordinary" thoughtfully re.
peated Captain Flagg, leaning ur
against cotton bale, and inviting his
companion by nod to do the same,
"well, femme overhaul the log bit,
an see. Polly" elevating his voice
for the benefit of his daughter, who wa.
regarding the representative Of the
press with admiring awe, "what nigh,
was it we lost Sam overheard, whilst We
was hove to off Thatcher's Islan'?"
"a week ago last Thursday
promptly returned Polly. with a shade
of sadness in her tone.
"Ah, indeed!" returned Mr.. Jones
interestedly, as he jotted something
down in the notebook, and continued
to write as he talked. Heavy gale,
presume, and man fell from aloft, reef
ing the-a-main t'gallant sailsp"
Regarding the speaker for brief mo.
ment in plying silence. Captain Flags
proceeded to enlighten his ignorance.
"Only square Triggers carries t'gal.
rns'ls," he explained, "and the Mary
j. bein' fore-an-after, has no need
o sech. Sam,"l solemnly continued
the Captain, laying his stumpy fore.
finger on Mr.. Jones arm, to command
his undivided attention, "Sam was a
black pig-the cunnin'est, knowin'est
why, what's thatp" he exclaimed,
suddenly breaking off in his eulogium
on his lost porker, as the sound of 8
suppressed giggle was heard to pro-
coed from directly overhead. Turning
his eyes upward as he thus spoke. and
catching a glimpse of Tad's mirthful
face peering over the top of the cotton
bales, Captain Flagg's fingers insensi.
bly, relaxed their hold upon the
japanned tin case containing his papers
and money.
This was the moment for which Mr..
Jones had been watching! Whipping
the tin case from the Captains unre-
sisting grasp, he lodged round the pile
Of cotton bales before Captain Jethro
could say Jack Robinson or Polly re-
cover her breath to scream.
Now, despite his sudden, ill-timed
mirth, Tad had been sharply watching
the movements of tlYs efratic Mr.. Jones,
whose purpose he had dimly suspected
from the first moment Of his pretended
interview. And, as he snatched the
case. Tad, scrambling from his hiding
place with inconceivable rapidity, slid
down ON the back side of the cotton
bales, just in time to confront the escap-
ing Jones.
Unlike the average boy-hero Of fic-
ton, Tad did not throw himself bodily